left the hills where the red sun rises,
Where the dust keeps all my childhood surprises.
Crossed the oceans, crossed the endless sky,
A small suitcase and a thousand whys.
From Rwanda’s heart to a world unknown,
Chasing a future I could call my own.
Everything felt bigger than me,
New faces, new words, new possibilities.
I held on tight to the hope inside,
Because courage grows when you don’t hide.
I came across the continents and across the seas,
Trying to find a brand new life for me.
Didn’t know the language, didn’t know the land,
But I learned to fight with my heart and hands.
From feeling lost to learning who I am,
I made it farther than I ever planned.
My first day in school, we went to the zoo,
A world so strange but beautiful too.
Second day was quiet with summer near,
But summer school brought my hardest year.
At eleven years old, I didn’t know the tongue,
So I pointed and prayed they understood the young.
Sitting in class not knowing a word,
Lessons spoken that I barely heard.
Step by step I found my voice,
Every struggle shaped my choice.
There were nights I felt like I couldn’t cry,
But the weight inside still made me sigh.
Missing home, missing friends, missing all I knew,
Feeling small in a world so big and new.
Now I’m standing here stronger than before,
Speaking English and opening doors.
Graduated high school, didn’t fall behind,
Got a job, got hope, and peace in my mind.
From a boy who once felt lost at sea,
To a man who found the strength in me.
I came across the continents and across the seas,
Trying to find a brand new life for me.
Didn’t know the language, didn’t know the land,
But I learned to fight with my heart and hands.
From feeling lost to learning who I am,
I made it farther than I ever planned.
